It was first visited and surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE), and given the name "Ablation" by them because of the relatively small amounts of snow and ice found there.
These depressions make the weather relatively mild; bring strong northerly winds and a heavy cloud cover to the region.
The climate is also characterized by continental north to northwesterly flow of cold anticyclone air from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
This flow brings clear, cold and stable conditions, relatively light winds from the south, and negative temperatures.
The period from late December until February is the season when running water appears from three main sources.
In summer period there are surface melt water pools formed in hollows between lake ridges.